Wednesday, August 18, 2010

#408 Guatemala...Thanks Haroldo!



These 3 stamps are 2009 UPAEP:Traditional Games issue illustrating Yoyo,Capirucho and Kite.

The yo-yo is a popular toy consisting of a length of string tied at one end to a flat spool. It is played by holding the free end of the string (usually by inserting one finger in a slip knot) and pulling at it so as to cause the spool to turn whilst suspended in mid-air, either taking up or releasing the string. First made popular in the 1920s, yo-yoing is still very much enjoyed by both children and adults, though it was originally made as a children's toy.

Capirucho (Cup-and-ball) is a traditional children's toy, consisting of a wooden cup with a handle, and a ball which is attached to a string, which is attached to the cup. It is popular in Spanish-speaking countries, where it is called "boliche". The name varies across many countries

The cup-and-ball has its origins in France in the sixteenth century. The game was loved by King Henry III of France. This frivolous monarch was often seen playing in public. After his death, the game went out of fashion. For 100 years the game was only remembered by a small number of enthusiasts.The game had its golden age during the reign of Louis XV — among the upper classes people owned baleros made of ivory. Actors also sometimes appeared with them in scenes. The game was very popular in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The main goal of the game is to get the ball into the cup. While the concept is very easy, mastering the game sometimes requires many hours of practice. To play, the player holds the cup by the handle and lets the ball hang freely. The player then tosses the ball upward by jerking the arm holding the toy, attempting to catch the ball in the cup.

The kite was said to be the invention of the famous 5th century BC Chinese philosophers Mozi and Lu Ban. By at least 549 AD paper kites were being flown, as it was recorded in that year a paper kite was used as a message for a rescue mission.Ancient and medieval Chinese sources list other uses of kites for measuring distances, testing the wind, lifting men, signaling, and communication for military operations.The earliest known Chinese kites were flat (not bowed) and often rectangular. Later, tailless kites incorporated a stabilizing bowline. Kites were decorated with mythological motifs and legendary figures; some were fitted with strings and whistles to make musical sounds while flying.

Stories of kites were brought to Europe by Marco Polo towards the end of the 13th century, and kites were brought back by sailors from Japan and Malaysia in the 16th and 17th centuries.Although they were initially regarded as mere curiosities, but by the 18th and 19th centuries kites were being used as vehicles for scientific research.

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